Yet another foreign television show is being imported from a far-flung country to be smoothed over and spoiled for American audiences. Though it's not an obscure Israeli show like In Treatment, which was dulled-down for HBO. And it's not a cultish oddity like Australia's Kath & Kim, nabbed by NBC with apparent diminshed returns. No this is one of those big old British shows that actually aired on American television during its run: Absolutely Fabulous. Mm hmm. Ab Fab. For American TV. Set in Los Angeles:
Fox is developing a redo of Jennifer Saunders' enduring Britcom "Absolutely Fabulous," to be exec produced by Mitch Hurwitz, Eric Tannenbaum and Kim Tannenbaum for Sony Pictures TV, Tantamount and BBC Worldwide America. Christine Zander ("Saturday Night Live") is set to write the script and will exec produce along with the BBC's Ian Moffet and original series creator Saunders. Fox has given Sony a script order with hefty penalty attached. The latest attempt at a U.S. rendition of "Ab Fab" will be transplanted to L.A. but retain the basic template of the original, revolving around the friendship of two boozy, over-40 best friends who are desperate to stay hip and youthful and who carry on under the disapproving eye of Edina's teenage daughter, Saffy.
[Variety] The trouble is that there's just something so particularly British about that show's humor, more so than other series like The Office. Also, there's very little that's funny about Los Angeles, really. If it was set in southern Florida or something, that might make a bit more sense. I mean, not a ton of sense. But some. Plus, Fox? This show is pretty durn gay, and Fox is not the gay friendliest of networks. I mean, they have American Idol and all, but that's family gay. At least Hurwitz, of the late screwball masterpiece Arrested Development, is involved in some capacity.